Gertrude “Trudy” Schwieterman Kuenning, 74

Gertrude “Trudy” Schwieterman Kuenning, 74, died on Sunday, July 10, 2011, in Concord, N.H., after a long illness.

She was born on April 17, 1937, at Otis Hospital in Celina, the daughter of Urban and Corinne Schwieterman, and they preceded her in death.

She is survived by two sons, Kevin Kuenning of Concord, N.H., and Keith (Tess) Kuenning of Bow, N.H.; her grandchildren, Brooke (Royce) Kuenning Goubeaux of Minster, Deanna (Kyle) Levengood of Bradenton, Fla., and Gerard and Anne Kuenning of Bow, N.H.; great-grandchildren, Bekett, Rylan and Logan; two brothers, David (Ruth Ann Kremer) Schwieterman of New Bremen and Dr. Donald (Marilyn Willke) Schwieterman, M.D., of Maria Stein.

She was preceded in death by her son, Kirk (Kris Gaier Ahrns) Kuenning, 47, of Minster, in 2007; her sister and brother-in-law, Donald and Betty Jo (Schwieterman) Gormley of Annapolis, Md., in 2005.

Trudy graduated from New Bremen High School in 1955. She graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s in education in 1959 and master’s in education in 1977. She began teaching in the New Bremen School District in 1969, and in 1977, she became the elementary principal. She retired from being principal in 2001, when she moved to New Hampshire. During her tenure at New Bremen Elementary School, the school received many awards, including two Ohio Hall of Fame School awards. During her time as principal, she served on many local and state educational committees.

Trudy reveled in her family and was most proud of being a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a friend and an educator.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. John the Evangelist Church, 72 S. Main St., Concord, N.H.

In the early fall, the family will receive friends at the Gilberg Hartwig Funeral Home in New Bremen. A funeral service will be held at Holy Redeemer Church in New Bremen and burial at St. Augustine Cemetery in Minster.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Trudy Kuenning Memorial Fund at the Merrimack County Savings Bank, 503 S. St., Bow, N.H., 03304.